Air Jordan 1 High OG “Rare Air” release date: South Africa

Jordan Brand expands its “Rare Air” series with two new colourways of the Air Jordan 1 High OG: a men’s “Royal” and a women’s “Cinnabar”.

“Rare Air” celebrates the early days of Air Jordan, a time when the brand was still experimenting with details like logo placement. Back then, sample pairs often came with imperfections—but over time, these so-called “mistakes” have become prized treasures for collectors. The Jordan Brand’s “Rare Air” series takes inspiration from those early samples, turning their quirks into design elements that nod to the brand’s heritage while reimagining them for today.

Now for the latest Jordan 1 drop, both pairs showcase a vintage twist with an early version of the Jordan Wings logo by Peter Moore that reads “Nike Air” instead of the usual “Air Jordan.”

The prototype logo appears on the left shoe’s lateral collar, while the right sticks to the classic version.

The “Royal” pair features black brush-off Swooshes that reveal color as they wear in, along with mismatched packaging to highlight the imperfect sample vibe. In contrast, the “Cinnabar” pair opts for suede Swooshes, single-stitched overlays, and two sets of laces: one fuzzy white, the other dyed red. Both colorways are finished with blue Nike tongue tags and “Rare Air” insoles.